Base-ball mask.



A. J. REACH.

BASE BALL MASK. APPLIUAT'ION FILED 111111122, 1911.

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YNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE. l

ALFRED J. REACH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 GEORGE A.

REACH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BASE-BALL MASK.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Application led .Tune 22, 1911. Serial No. 634,721.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. REacrna citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Base-BallMasks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to masks for baseball players.

The object of my invention is to produce a wire mask adapted to be wornon the face of a ball catcher to protect the face from being struck bythe ball, and to afford adequate resistance to the force of the impactof a base ball without obstructing the vision of the wearer.

A further object thereof is to produce a wire mask of such constructionthat the usual vertical medial longitudinal wire is obviated withoutimpairing its structural strength, and a still further object thereof isto pro vide a more simple, cheap and efficient mask for base-ballplayers than has heretofore been produced.

To these ends, my invention includes the combinations and arrangement ofcomponent parts to be hereinafter described and more particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which like reference charactersiindicate sinrilar parts, Figure l is a front view of my invention, andFig. 2 is a side view of the same.'

My invention includes, generally, a substantially oval-shaped main frameof rigid wires adapted to fit around the face of the wearer, aprotruding wire structure built upon said main frame, comprising atransverse or horizontally disposed frame supported upon said main frameproviding an unobstructed opening in front of the eyes of the wearer,and a plurality of substantially vertically and horizontally disposedinterwoven curved wires supporting said horizontally disposed frame uponthe main frame and adapted to protect the face of the wearer from injuryfrom a base ball.

Referring now tothe drawings, l indicates a substantially oval-shapedmain frame of rigid wire, the ends of which are suitably coupledtogether.

Upon said frame 1 is mounted the transverse substantially horizontallydisposed open frame 3, which as shown is preferably of a single strandof rigid inflexible wire having its ends suitably united at Ll.

The transverse frame 3 is positioned so as to register with the eyes oft-he wearer and provide an unobstructed visual opening, and is supportedon the main frame l by a plurality of substantially vertically disposedrigid wires 5 attached to the lower portion of the main frame 1 and thelower portion of the transverse frame 3, by the substantially verticallydisposed rigid wires 6 attached at their opposite ends to the upperportions of the main and transverse frames, respectively, and by thesubstantially horizontal rigid wires 7 and 8, the ends of which areattached to the ends of the transverse frame and the substantiallyvertical sides of the main frame. Said upper and lower verticallydisposed supporting wires 5 and 6 are interlocked with the archedsubstantially horizontally disposed transverse wires 9, 10, and 1l aboveand below the transverse frame to form a protruding rigid net work infront of the face of the wearer and to brace the support of thetransverse frame upon the main frame.

From the foregoing description and by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, it will be apparent that the transverse frame 3 beingpositioned upon the mask structure at the height of the eyes whensecured upon the face of a player provides an unobstructed eye openingwith adequate support thereon and ample protection to the face against ablow from a base ball.

The mask structure thus described is provided with a suitable padding orcushion 12 around the main frame, and adjustable harness 13 for securingsame upon the face of the wearer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to besecured by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a base ball mask, the combination with a substantially oval-shapedmain frame adapted to lit around the face of the wearer, of a protrudingtransverse elongated frame comprising upper and lower transverse barsrigidly connected at their ends independently mounted on said main frameand completely offset therefrom, and a plurality of 'protruding rigidwires supporting said transverse frame in said offset position on saidmain frame.

2. In a base ball mask, the Combination with a substantially oval-shapedrigid main frame adapted to fit around the face of the wearer, ot' anelongated horizontally disposed unobstructed rigid frame comprisingupper and lower transverse bars rigidly Conneoted at their endsindependently mounted on said main frame and completely offsettherefrom, a plurality of protruding' rigid n a n u n 5 Wiressupport-lng said main frame in said l0 oifset position, and a pluralityof arched transverse Wires mounted on said main frame and interwovenwith said supporting Wires intermediate of their ends.

ALFRED J. REACH. lVitnesses z L. Dimmu, JOHN GAMBLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

